Parachute-gun.



F.D.BARNBS.

` PARAGHUTB GUN.

.APPLIGATICE FILED SEPI. Z3, 190B.

Patented July 26,1910.

FRED D. BARNES, OF MILVIAUKE, VJISCONSIN.

PABACH UTE-GUN.

Speecation of Letters Patent.

Patented Jul;- 26, 1910.

l Application tiled September 23, 19E-8. Serial No. 454.392.

To all 4zrtom Zi may conce-rn:

Be it known that l, FRED D. B mxrs, a citizen of the Tfnited bltates.residing in the cit v of Milwaukee. county of Milwaukee,

5 and State of 'sconsin, have invented eertain new and usefulImprovements in Parachute-Guns, of which -the' follo\ving r is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in parachute guns and has' amongiis salient objects to provide a construction in which a parachute isautomatic-all)v shot. or ejected from a/cross-how gun; to provide anovel construction of the parachute proper which more etl'ectivelinsures the opening of the latter duringA it: descent; to provide noveldetails of construction and arrangementr for etting' the gun and fordist-l:urgingthe parachute: to provide a simple and reliable 2O devicewhich can he readily' and safely operated by a child and which can bemanufactured at a low cost; and in general to provide an improvedeonftruction of the character referred t: i-

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter deseriht-l and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring to the drawings. Figure l shows i. s de tlevatic-n of myimproved crossbow gun, the set position of the `:gun heilig shown. indotted lines, Fig. 2 i. a fragmentary side elevation of the gun taken atright angles to the vievv shown in Pig. l. Fig. is a transverse.sectional view taken on lines of Fig. l and lookingr in the directionof the arrows: Fig. l is a side view of the parachute in closedposition, parts heilig broken avvaiv to reduce the size of the drawing'.l: is a .similar view on 40 a smaller scale showing the parachute inopen position. Fig. G is a sectional detail view showing the@instruction of the lower weighted end of the parachute. Fir. T if :tfragmentary top plan view of the device 4 with'the paraehute arrowremoved.

as a whole the barrel of thegun which consiStS essentially of a splitymetal tuile eom- 9 9. respectivel): lhe

end of the parts i- Q' telescope within and are secured to a tumlar.sleeve 5. O

Upon each side or the sleeve o 1s mounted a bzw-sprlne` 7. eachbow-spring consist-mg in the preferred construction shown of a length ofspring wire doubled hack upon itself at its outer end, eat-h halfprovided with one or more coils or 'turns S adjacent to the side of thebarrel and the terminal portion S' inserted downwardl)` and fastenedwithin a suitable socket 1'. It will he understood that the two halvesof each hor.- spriug are. alike and extend substantially parallel witheach other throughout.

To the outer ends of the two springs is secured a how-string'. whichpreferably com prises sections of heavy rubber or elastic cord at eachend, and .-t middle portion of non-elastic cord l0, which latter extendsthrough the slot between the divided halves of the barrel. The loweredge of the sleeve .3 serves to arrest the outward movement of thehow-ftring and is suitahlv rounded to prerent cutting the latter. Theelasticity of the eord sections 9 is supplementary to the re-iiiencv ot'the how, and furthermore enables mue-h shorter how-springs to he usedthan would he the case were the bow-string 1iunelastic.

in order to hold the how in set position. th. end ofthe handle or stockinside the tube or barrel carries a wire detent.V 11 eecured t', thestoel; h v means of a stud or bolt l2. The engaging' end of this detentis desirnhly U-shapednnd extends trrutsverselv of the slot between thehalves1 ot the barrel. as shown elearl)v in Fig. 2. ll'heu the`howflexed the how-string is hooked over orheneath the detent 1l. In orderto lire the gun. a trigger 13 is provided, which takes the form of abent lever pivoted about mid-length as at 1l between the ears of abracket 15 suitably secured to the side of the stock. The upper end ofthe trigger is bentto extend. through an aperture 16 and through theU-shaped portion of the detent. while the opposite end of the lever norll l lnail'v stands ohliquely outwardly away from the stock, as indicatedat 17. By prt-ing the exposed end of the trigger inwardly, thehow-spring is forced ot` from the deteut and the bow released.

Defrihng, now, the parachute, designated as a whole 1S, it comprises anarrowlili-: body 19, to the upper end of which is secured the cover orfabric 20, a slide-ring 2l mounted upon the -arrow body and to which thelower ends of the stay-strings 22 are connected, and a notched member 23upon the lower end of the arrow- The parachute fabric is desirably oflight silk or analogous readily tiexible fabric, and may be convenientlyfastened to the upper end of the arrowr by an encircling ring or hand 5Q4.' The strings 22 may be .simply tied onto the peripheral edges of thefabric at regular Spaced apart intervals, and in order to limit theupward movement of the Slidcring, and thus hold the parachute inproperly distended form, a stop 25 is provided on the side of the arrowat a suitable point. The notched member in the preferred embodimentshown consists of a soft or semi-sott rubber elongated cap, provided' atits open end with an inturned bead or constrictivc part- QG whichengagea a `auitable annular groove 27 in the end of the arrow, and soholdsV the cap attached thereto. Inside ot` the cap is provided a weightQS which is made just heavyenough to insure the prompt righting of theparachute after ithas reached .its maximum height after being shot. soas to insure the prompt opening of the device. The notched member 23 isalso 25 provided with integral wings Q9 which deand adjusted so that thenotch of the arrow straddles the bow string and rests upon the latte]`or detent. The length of the arrow below the loweet point to which theslideringr descends is desirablv equal to. or

Slightly zgreater than, the length of the barrelfrom its discharge endto the detent, so that the slide-ringlr docs not enter the barrel. Thedevice is shot like an ordinary cross-bow. being usually, of course,directed .40 vertically upward.

As an improved detail of construction, I' provide upon the discharge endof the barrel an outstanding prong 3 ot suitable toe upon the same whenthe end of the barrel is rested against. the ground, thua enabling; himtohold the gun down while he draws; up the how-string with both hands.lt is thus optional to the operator whether he places the hutt ot' thestock against his body and Seta the bou.l by pulling the string towardhim. or placers the muzzle of the gun upon the ground, and holding: itdown with his toc. pulls the bow-string up\\'ardl v.

lt will bc understood from thc foregoing;r description that a devil-ecmlmdyiu;r my invention may be nnuulfacturcd at low cost, that it is ato v which is peculiarl)v attractive and instructive to. children. andthat the several objects o" the invention stated are fully accomplished.

`While the device herein shown constitutes a preferred embodiment of inv invention, it is, of course. apparent that. the details,l ofconstruction ma)v be varied without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim as in v invention:

The combination with a parachute arrow,

elongated cap shaped forked notch mem' ber telescoped upon the buttendof the arrow and a weight within said notch member.

FRED D. BARXES.

'it nesses:

S. Sonn-z. Joux I. BRAUN.

